VMware makes it easier to wholesale clouds

Network World - VMware has introduced a new software platform that makes it easier for service providers to wholesale their cloud-services infrastructure to other providers.

Cloud Integration Manager automates many of the otherwise manual tasks required to provision services that are delivered through other VMware platforms vCloud Director management software, vSphere virtualization, vShield Edge security and vCenter Chargeback Manager billing.

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The new product comes with a user interface where users can tick off what features they want to include in services for business customers, and the platform will provision them on the underlying infrastructure, the company says.

The wholesaling vendor can limit how much cloud capacity each of its resellers can sell to protect the cloud from being over provisioned.

Currently cloud services have to be provisioned manually into vCloud Director which in turn configures the virtualization, security and billing platforms.

Cloud Integration Manager is scheduled to be available by the end of the first quarter. It will be demonstrated at VMware Partner Exchange in Las Vegas next week.

VMware is also announcing that its partner program has grown to 94 providers that offer certified VMware vCloud Data Centers or vCloud Powered services. The former sets standards for cloud data centers that providers can build to so customers can move from provider to provider and get exactly similar services. There are seven of these partners.

VCloud Powered Services are provided by 87 partners, which means they support the vCloud application programming interface, but not the core cloud service definitions followed by vCloud Data Center partners.